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As ICE arrests spark fear among immigrants, advocate uses speaker to inform of rights

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As ICE arrests spark fear among immigrants, advocate uses speaker to inform of rights


Arrests continue in immigrant-heavy Massachusetts communities like Everett and Chelsea, with residents documenting enforcement actions on social media.

The apparent uptick in arrests comes nearly a month after President Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, declared he would be “bringing hell” to Boston and other sanctuary cities.

Some in the immigrant community believe recent arrests have expanded to include undocumented immigrants without criminal records, suspecting it may be due to pressures from the president to meet daily quotas of about 1,500 arrests.

Law enforcement agents were captured on video again Thursday morning, this time after stopping a van and arresting several people on Union street at the Chelsea-Everett line.

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A woman from El Salvador agreed to speak to NBC10 Boston, asking to conceal her identity and that of her brother, whom she said was among the people arrested.

She said her brother, who does not have a legal status, has no criminal record.

As immigration officials continue to make arrests in Boston, hundreds of advocates and immigrants gathered at the Massachusetts State House.

Lucy Pineda is the executive director of the immigrant advocacy group Latinos Unidos En Massachusetts — or LUMA — in Everett.

She explains how she plans to make it harder for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to find their targets by blasting messages down the street using speakers and megaphones, informing people of their rights.

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“They’re trying to intimidate our community, and we can see it,” Pineda said. “They don’t just arrest people with criminal history, they arrest people who don’t have no legal documents, they don’t have no [criminal] records in the country.”

Pineda said a lot of what’s been seen and reported in neighboring communities this week is also happening in her city.

“What I think you’re seeing right now is the beginning of what Tom Homan said he was going to do,” said former Bristol County Sheriff Tom Hodgson.

The Trump campaign advisor said he hopes recent enforcement operations can encourage people to seek a legal way into the country.

“It’s about upholding the rule of law,” he said. “We can’t pick and choose for ourselves what people we think should have to abide by the law and which ones shouldn’t.”

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The White House slammed the sanctuary policies of Boston and surrounding communities in a press release Thursday, highlighting recent arrests by ICE of immigrants who have been charged with — but not convicted of — a range of crimes, including child rape and organized crime.



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Boston, MA

DHS puts Boston and other sanctuary jurisdictions on notice: ‘comply with federal law’ – The Boston Globe

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DHS puts Boston and other sanctuary jurisdictions on notice: ‘comply with federal law’ – The Boston Globe


Boston, Cambridge, Providence, and Portland, Maine were among the municipalities, counties, and states throughout New England and the nation, identified as “lawless” sanctuary jurisdictions deliberately flouting federal immigration laws, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

“Sanctuary politicians are on notice: comply with federal law,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement Thursday evening.

A list of dozens of localities in 36 states, including all six states in New England, was released with the statement.

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In Massachusetts, 13 of the state’s 14 counties are listed, with Hampden County the lone exception. Cities with high immigrant populations, such as Chelsea and Lawrence, and progressive cities, such as Northampton and Somerville, according to the list.

Hanover and Lebanon in New Hampshire, and Burlington in Vermont were also on the list.

Each jurisdiction will be formally notified of its non-compliance and potential violations of federal criminal law, federal authorities said.

“We are exposing these sanctuary politicians who harbor criminal illegal aliens and defy federal law,” Noem’s statement said. “President Trump and I will always put the safety of the American people first.”

The noncompliant jurisdictions will be ordered to immediately review and revise their policies “to align with federal immigration laws” and will be required to “renew their obligation to protect American citizens, not dangerous illegal aliens,” the statement said.

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On April 28, Trump issued an executive order giving Noem and US Attorney General Pam Bondi authority to identify the “lawless jurisdictions” that “refuse to cooperate” with federal immigration laws and hold them accountable.

This story will be updated.


Tonya Alanez can be reached at tonya.alanez@globe.com. Follow her @talanez.





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Boston, MA

What do we need to know about the Boston Celtics offseason from a cap perspective?

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What do we need to know about the Boston Celtics offseason from a cap perspective?


What do we need to know about the Boston Celtics offseason from a cap perspective? The Celtics already had themselves a host of tough decisions to make about how to construct their roster moving forward even before the brutal Achilles tendon injury to star forward Jayson Tatum occurred in Game 4 of the 2025 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals second round series vs. the New York Knicks.

With a historically large payroll and tax bill driven by Boston’s presence in the dreaded second apron created by the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) at the same time a new ownership group with unknown priorities and financial liquidity takes over the team, some roster to moves to save money were already coming. Now the question is what players — and how much salary — will be moved.

The host of the CLNS Media “You Got Boston” podcast, Noa Dalzell, linked up with Spotrac cap expert Keith Smith to talk it all over on a recent episode. Check it out below!

If you enjoy this pod, check out the “How Bout Them Celtics,” “First to the Floor,” and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network: https://ytubl.ink/3Ffk

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Boston shooting suspect didn’t get a court-appointed attorney — and you might not either

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Boston shooting suspect didn’t get a court-appointed attorney — and you might not either


Anyone charged with a crime has a constitutional right to a lawyer, even if they cannot afford one.

But as the arraignment of a 46-year-old Boston man on Wednesday shows, in Massachusetts, that guarantee may not be so certain for the time being, due to attorneys’ fight for higher pay.

Elvis Haughton appeared in Boston Municipal Court’s Central branch Wednesday, where he pleaded not guilty to charges that he took a Boston Police officer’s gun and fired it during a scuffle, injuring himself. The incident on Tuesday morning near Massachusetts General Hospital led to an extensive police investigation and road closures on Cambridge Street and surrounding side roads.

Also, on Tuesday morning, bar advocates, or private lawyers who contract with the state to represent defendants without the funds to hire an attorney themselves, began refusing new cases, saying they are not paid enough to sustain their practices.

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Bar advocates are paid $65 per hour in district court, but according to the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), after accounting for expenses such as office and out-of-pocket health and malpractice insurance, they effectively earn around $20 per hour — a rate they say makes it impossible to continue providing quality legal defense.

They are paid $85 per hour for Superior Court cases and $120 per hour when the defendant is charged with murder.

In comparison, bar advocates make $125 an hour in New Hampshire, $112 per hour in Rhode Island and $150 per hour in Maine.

CPCS, the state’s public defender agency, retains full-time staff attorneys and handles about 20% of cases where criminal defendants are provided with a court-appointed lawyer. Bar advocates handle the remaining 80%.

According to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, Haughton was arraigned without an attorney to represent him “due to the work stoppage.” He was charged with assault and battery on a police officer, illegal possession of a firearm, possession of a class C substance and resisting arrest.

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A judge ordered Haughton to undergo a mental health evaluation. He was ordered held without bail until his dangerousness hearing on June 2.



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